We're featured in Vivala!

It was an exciting day to visit the Vivala offices. BusinessWire had just released the statement with the headline, "Vivala surpasses one million monthly visitors just four months after launch." It was a major accomplishment for the new mobile-first CafeMedia company.
I so happened to stop by because some of the editors asked to interview me for their "Fearless Fashion Series" column. The article is titled "She's not just a style blogger. She's helping those in need," and touches upon my involvement in my community and my personal style.

The editors have been following my work with "Keep Nativity Open," a campaign I started last year with fellow parishioners as an attempt to save our East Village church from closing. I became the unofficial spokesperson and garnered interviews in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Al Jazeera America, NCR, and local and national TV.

After almost a year of requesting a fair appeal with the Archdiocese of New York and the Congregation for the Clergy who work with the Vatican, Nativity Church closed in August 2015.

Now we, (some parishioners) and members of The Catholic Worker including Dorothy Day's granddaughter Martha Hennessy, are proposing that the Archdiocese use our now vacant church or rectory at 44 Second Avenue for services for the homeless such as showers and mailboxes.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

We've never met a blogger quite like Mercedes Sanchez, the founder and writer of fashion and beauty blog, BeChicMag. Aside from running her blog, she's also an On-Air style and beauty expert. But what makes Sanchez stand out from any other lifestyle blogger or expert out there is her determination to follow in the footsteps of her hero Dorothy Day, the co-founder of The Catholic Worker Movement, who died in 1980. After becoming a Catholic convert, Day dedicated her life to social activism and helping the poor and homeless. Inspired by her legacy, Sanchez has also found a way to also use her faith and talents for social good and it's truly inspiring!

"I'm Catholic and try to go to church every single Sunday, just because my faith is very important to me," she says. "I've experienced so many blessings in my life. Even through the hard times I have felt God there with me and that's why my faith is so strong." She volunteers at a catechism class at her church where she teaches the Catholic religion to middle school and high school students. She's also made it her mission to challenge some of the injustices found within the Catholic Church.

"There are many things within the Catholic church that I personally don't agree with, like women not being able to take leadership roles,” says Sanchez. “So I've been trying to be more involved in the political parts of it so I can make a difference somehow."

By the way, this is my new favorite coat that I purchased on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side in one of the historic leather good stores. The shop is going to close for good in January or February. If you're looking for a Christmas gift for someone or need a new coat, consider supporting "Leather Gallery of NY" at 190 Orchard Street.

I'm going to dedicate a blog post all about this coat and the significance behind it. Stay tuned!